For a good long while now, we’ve been anticipating the retirement of a pretty good and solid attack airplane, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, otherwise known as the Worthog.

This is one awesome airplane! Capable of carrying a TON of ordinance and with a nose-mounted cannon that can turn tanks into swiss cheese, the A-10 is an airplane that ALL about supporting our troops on the ground. It’s been in service with the Air Force since the ‘70’s and has seen all kinds of action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But it is an old airplane and congress has been thinking for a long time that it should be retired. They were looking to the F-35B as a suitable replacement. While there is no doubt in my mind that the F-35B will kick butt in the air-to-ground role that it was designed for, the A-10 still holds a dear place in mine and many other military aviator’s hearts for its proven reliability in the battlefield.

Well, voices singing the Warthog’s praises have been heard in the House Armed Services Committee and have led to a reversal of a decision previously made. At least three active A-10 squadrons that were set to be retired in the 2020’s are now being selected for preservation well beyond the 2020’s. According to an article in Fiscal Times, after listening to Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson praising the Worthog as a “phenomenal machine”, the Committee decided that just because something is old doesn’t mean you should throw it away. The A-10 will be around for MANY years to come.

This only reinforces a talk we had not too long ago addressing concerns that several of our members had about the need for future fighter pilots. I had stressed then that it doesn’t matter if you’re 14 or 24 right now, throughout your ENTIRE career on the military, there WILL be a need for fighter pilots! It’s up to you to step up to the plate and get the ball rolling to make your dreams come true of being one of the anointed ones who get one of those slots!

The Afterburner Club is here to help you make sure that you have all of the tools you need to work your way into that slot. Taking the right information and coupling it with implementation is the ONLY way you will ever succeed, in the cockpit or in life.

So if you’re an A-10 fan, take action on the tremendous opportunities that the House Armed Services Committee is bringing right to you! Jon the Afterburner Club and be the one who supports our troops in that A-10!

Semper Fi!